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The JUµ} Law

Lesson Objectives:
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
1. identify the opposing gr<>Ups on the issue of Rizal Law;
2. state the opposing groups' points of contention and determine the interests of the c_oo_t:.--"1:""
groups; and · , · , - ' ·
3. draw parallels to the p·resent tinie. · · ·

The Story of the Rizal Law

In 1956, Senator Claro M. Recto .filed a measure, which became th.e:original Rizal Bill, recogni~irig
the need to instill heroism among the youth a~ the, time ~hen the ~ountry was experi~'.r .cing SO(::ial
turmoil. It was a time when the country ,was being rav.~g~~-by the Hukbalahap i1nsurgency. Th.e,i~periaijst
presence in the form of Ame~ican influepce was_strong in the cou;~tr:y's economy and political p911icie~J ~e
communist insurgency ~as fought through American guida~ce and _rnater_ ial 'aid: Th_
e,Ph!!iP:~ines bec~r1:e ·
part of the global n_etwork to contain th.e spread ofcomr_nunism with th_ e ~onclusion ofa mutµ~I -~~!e~~e
agreement with the United States in 1951 and its joining the Southeast Asia Treaty Organ_izat!on:(~EATO).
On the economic front, the ·unit,ed parity rights ·gra.nted in the Philippine Cons.titu!ion,which allo~~d the
Americans to exploit the country's natural resources. In 1956, the Laurel-Langley Agr.eement ensured.:tre
free entry of American products, thus ensuring the preference of Filipinos for Amiirican goods. Internally,
the country was buffeted by corrupt party politics and news of political corruption was ra111pant~TJ.te.l950s
was indeed confusing times.
This was the period when Recto submitted his bill, calling for a return to,patriotic values enunciated
by Filipino heroes like Jose Rizal. Under the bill, it shall _be obligatory for co_llege and university students ,
to study the life and works of Jose Rizal. The issuance of the bill was not welcome~ by various quarters.
The Catholic Church assailed the Rizal Bill as anti-Church because it forces the students to read Rizal's
works like the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo which contain passages that were anti-Church. They

• Jose Rizal: Social Reformer and Patriot

AStudy of His Life and Times
p~es~nted fears :hat the religious beliefs of the young students would be harmed by reading
th
Riz~I s works w~i~e ey were at their formative years. Forcing the students to read Rizal'sworks
which have religious overtones would be a violation of the constitutional freedom of religion
a~d of conscience. The Church made use of lobbyists as well as priests in opposing the Rizal
th
Bill.-Among em were Catholic organizations sucti as the Accion Catolico which was formerly
headed by Senator Francisco "Soc• Rodrigo. Priests attended and actively participated in the
hearings of the Senate.

Many of these priests were foreigners who sought audience with senators to convince
them to oppose the bill. T,his.was a,clear interference of the Church on the making of policies
by the State.

Seminars were held across the countryside to oppose the bill. In one seminar, one of the
oppositors, Fr. Jesus Cavanna, commented that Rizal's novels belonged to the past and it would
be harmful to read them because they presented afalse picture of the conditions of the country
at that time. He also said that out of the 333 pages of .tlie Noli Me Tangere, there were only 25
patriotic statements compared to 120·anti-Catholic statenients. One commentator, Jesus Paredes,
said that the novels contain objectionable matters and Catholics had the right to refuse to read
them, so as not to endanger their faith. Another commentator, Narciso Pimentel, offered the
speculation that Recto introduced his Rizal Bill to get back at t~e Catholic voters, who, together with ,,·
President Magsaysay, were responsible for his poor showing in the 1955 elections. Lawmakers
such as Representative Miguel Cuenco and Senator Francisco ·soc•'Rodrigo voiced the opposition
ofthe Church in Congress. Senator Rodrigo commented,t~at he would not _ let ,his teenage son read
the Noli Me Tangere and El. Filibusterismo lest he end.angers his Catholic faith. He proposed that
the footnoted or annotated versions of the novels be used inst_ ead of the unexpurgated versions
required in the R~cto Bill.

The Church continued its opposition of the bill by calling all Catholic voters tq reject
lawmakers who supported Recto's Rizal Bi IL Pastoral letters were read in masses voicing opposition.
Bishops _threatened to close down Cathoii~schoqls if the .bill was apprqved. Recto, however, stood
his ground and dared the Catholic Church to shut down their schools, knowing that this was only
an idle thre~t since the Ca_tholic learning _instituti~ns were its major source of income. He also
!
rejected Senator Rodri~o's s~g~_~stiqn thatthe _annotated or edited versions of the Noli ~e Tangere I
and El Filibuste'rismo should ~~•used. - I
I
• ~- l

After-a month-long standoff, a compromise bill was filed. It was a~thored by Senator Jose
Laurel and it was based on the. prpposals of Senators Ro~eller Lim and Emmanuel Pelaez. On
June 12, 1956: Republi·cAct ~o. J4~5, ~etter ~nown as the Ri_zal Law, came into ~ffect. The law
accommoda~eq the _ objections of the Catholic ,hu~ch..This could _ be -~eep_in the second parag~aph
of Section 1, allowing sw~ents to_seek exe_ ~ption from tead_i~g Rizal's works fqr religious reasons.
To the a~thors of _ the_origip~I bill, it w~s a,compl~te·victory b~t its 0PP..~si~o_r~,felt satisfi_
ed that at
least they achieveQ something. The law,'however, still requires tbe reading _of the unexpurgated
versions ·of Rizal's novefs. It also provided the funding of publication of Rizal's works and their

Part I. Lif~ And Works of Rizal 15

 distribution to the countryside. It was, however, a one-time appropriation and provisio
. t· as not g·,ven The Rizal Law is more than 50 years old now and it m n, for
future pu bl 1ca 10n w · '· ay need
revisions to make it more relevant.
Repub_licid No.1425
House BIii No. 5561
Senate BIii No. 438
An ad to include in the curricula of all public and private schools,
colleges~ and universities courses on the "life, works, and writings of
Jose Rizal, particularly his novels Noli Me Tangere and El Fllibusterismo,
authorizing the printing and dist.ribution thereof, an~ for other purposes.
Whereas, today, more than any other period of our ·history, there is a need for a re-
dedication to the ideals of freedom and nationalism for which our heroes lived and died;
Whereas, it is meetthat in honorin_g them, particularly the national hero and patriot,Jose
Rizal, we remember with special fondness and devotion their lives and works that have shaped
the national character;
Whereas, the life, works, and writings of Jose Rizal, particularly his novels Noli Me Tangere

)
and El Filibusterismo, are aconstant and inspiring source of patriotism with wnich the minds of
the youth, especially during their formative and d~cisive ye_
ars in school, should be suffused;
Whereas, all educational institutions ·are under the s·upervision ·of, and 'subject to
regulation by the State~and all schools are enjoined to devel'op moral cHaracter, personal
'
!
discipline, civic conscience and to teach the.duties of citizenship; Now, therefore,-
i
•:
Sedion 1. Courses on the _life, works, and writings of Jose_Rizal, partit~larly his novels
Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, shall be i'ncluded in the curricula of all school~, colleges,
and universities, public or private: Provided, that •in' the· collegiate courses,·the original or
unexpurgated editi?ns of the Noli Me Tangere and ·EI Filibusterismo or their English translation
shall be used as basic texts. ·
The Bo.~rd of Natio~al Educa_tion is hereby authorized and directed to adopt forthwith
measures to implement and carry out the provisions of this Section, ·inci'uding .the.writing and
printing of appropriate primers, readers, and textbooks. The Board shall, within sixty (60) days
from the effectivityof this Act, promu.lgate rules ana regu'liition~, in~luding·thdse'oh disciplinary
nature, to carry out and enforce the regulatidns of this Act. TheiBo'ard ·shall promulg~te rules and
regulations providing for the exemption of students for reasons of ·religious ·befief stated in a
sworn written statement, from the requirement of the provision contained in the second part of
the first ~aragraph of this section; but not from takiri'g the course provided for in the first part of
said paragraph. Said rules and regulations shall fake effect thirty (30) days after their publication
in the Official Gazette. ,, '

16 Jose Rizal: Social_ Reformer and Patriot

AStudy of His Life and Times
 Section 2• It shall be obligatory .on all schools, colleges, and universities to keep in th eir
libraries an adequate number of copies of the original and unexpurgated editions of the Noli Me
Tangere and El Filibusterismo, as well as Rizal's other works and biog.raphy. The said unexpurgated
editions of the Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo or their translations in English as well as
other writings of Rizal shall be included in the list of approved books for required reading in all
public or private schools, colleges, and universiHes. .
The Board of National Education shall determine the adequacy of the number of books,
depending upon the enroHment of the school( college, or ·university.
Section 3. The Boarl of.N.atib~al Education shall cause the translation of the·Noli Me
·Tangere·an~ El ~il)bu~~eris'ino, as w~II as ~ther writings of Jose Rizal into English, T~g~l~g, and the
principal Philippine dialects; cause them to be printed in cheap, popular editions; and cau,se them ·
to be distributed, free of charge, to persons desiring to read them, through the Purok organizations
and the Barrio Councils throughout the country.
- Section 4. Nothing in this Act shall be construed as.amendment or repealing section nine
hundred twenty-seven of the Administrative Code, prohibiting the discussion of religious doctrin_es
by public school teachers and other person engaged in any publk school. ·
Sectlo~ 5. The sum of th~ee hundred thousand pesos ,s hereby authorized to be
appropriated out of any fund -not otherwise appropriated in the National treasury to carry out the
purposes of this Act. ·
Section 6. This Act·shall _take effect upo~ its approval.
Approved: June 12, 1956

1. Form two or more groups. Analyze the issues and interests that were upheld to push
the Rizal Law. Are these issues still valuable at present? One group will discuss the
positive answer while.the other group will discuss the negative answer.
2. According to various Philippine.presidents, the overseas FilipinQ .workers (OFWs.) are
the present-day heroes. Using the criteria prese~ted in this reading, are they worthy of
being called h~roes? Justify your an~wers. Could other parameters ·oe used to update
the definition of a hero fifty years after debate of the National Heroes Commission?
List down ~t least three items. Cou.ld these justify the classification of the OFWs as
modern-day heroes? ·

Part I. Life and Works of Rizal